The Five Scarves - Elemental Destiny Part 2
by RaceProUK
Summary: (Book 3 of 3, Part 2 of 5) With Hanna on board, she, Rob, Maria, Danny, and Xander go to meet the contact that will give them more details about their mission. However, their client has other ideas…
1. Chapter 1

Mid-afternoon, and the five friends arrive at the rendezvous point, a cutting in the woodland on the edge of Rage Ravine; the peaceful tranquillity is restored when the ATV and trike engines are shut off.

"So where is this contact we're meant to be meeting?" Hanna asks as the group collectively dismounts.

"Your guess is as good as mine," Danny replies. "This is the correct place, and the correct time."

"Does this mean we're _not_ going on a quest?" Maria asks, a little disappointed.

"Our contact is just running late, that's all," Danny assures.

Hanna's ears prick. "I hear a vehicle approaching."

The group falls silent, awaiting the approaching vehicle; a few moments later, a truck with blacked-out windows rumbles into the clearing, halting in front them. One of the windows is rolled down, revealing a cloaked figure inside.

"Yǒu yuán qiānlǐ lái xiānghuì" the cloaked figure greets; her voice is slightly distorted, as if she's speaking through a mask or a voicebox.

"Fēi xià kǔgōngfū bùkě" Danny replies.

"My master is desperate for his gems to be returned to him," the cloaked woman continues.

"He must be, if he's resorted to hiring Red Scarves," Danny agrees.

"Why doesn't he go to the police?" Rob interjects.

"He reported the theft," the woman explains, "but the police aren't devoting enough resources to locating them, or so my master claims."

While Danny and the cloaked woman continue to discuss the assignment, Hanna pulls Rob to one side.

"Is it just me, or does her voice sound familiar?" Hanna asks, whispering to avoid being overheard.

"I know what you mean," Rob whispers back, "but it's difficult to know for sure with her voice distorted the way it is."

"I just can't shake the feeling there's something going on," Hanna responds. "Something we're not aware of."

"That may well be the case," Rob agrees. "There's only one way to be sure."

"It's not too late to bail," Hanna suggests.

"And we both know that you won't," Rob counters. "Which of course means I won't."

"You're right," Hanna sighs. "Again."

"I'm getting used to this," Rob teases.

"It won't last, you know," Hanna flirts.

"Hey you two," Xander interrupts. "This lady wants us to go meet her master."

"Why?" Hanna asks.

"Because that's what her master wants," Xander explains, failing to hide a moment of confusion.

"If we must," Hanna sighs. "What about our ATVs?" she adds a second later.

"There's room in the truck for them," Danny assures.

The five friends load their vehicles into the back of the truck and take a seat on the benches inside; once all aboard, Rob closes and secures the rear doors. Danny knocks on the front wall three times; a moment later, the vehicle pulls away.

After a couple of minutes, Hanna's ears prick. "Can anyone hear a hissing?" she asks.

"Probably just the ventilation system," Danny assures.

"Or the pneumatic brakes pressurising," Rob adds.

"Either way, nothing to worry about," Danny finishes.

The journey continues in silence for a few more minutes.

"I think I'm going to take a nap," Maria yawns. "Wake me up when we get there."

"Actually, that sounds like a good idea," Danny agrees. "I think I'll do the same; the rocking is making me drowsy."

"I'm a little sleepy too," Xander adds.

"And me," Rob murmurs.

"Wait, we all feel sleepy?" Hanna asks, drowsiness slurring her words. She receives no answer; a quick scan of her friends confirms her suspicions. "We've… all… been…" The thought remains unfinished, as Hanna slips into a deep sleep.

* * *

The cloaked woman checks through a secret viewport; she smiles at the sight of the five Scarves fast asleep. She activates a compact communication device.

"Captain, we have them," she reports. "And three friends of theirs as a bonus."


	2. Chapter 2

Early evening, and the truck pulls up next to a small black shuttlecraft.

"Did they give you any trouble?" the lieutenant asks the cloaked woman as she exits the cab.

"Not at all," she assures. "In fact, they were rather more compliant than I anticipated. But then, given how much they thought they were going to be paid, it shouldn't be that surprising; Red Scarves can't resist a big score."

"The captain will be pleased to hear that," the lieutenant replies.

"Speaking of the captain," the woman continues, "I have a little request I hope he can help me with."

The lieutenant activates his compact wrist communicator. "Captain?"

"Yes, lieutenant?" The captain's voice is distorted slightly by the tiny speaker.

"She wants to speak to you," the lieutenant replies.

"Very well," the captain sighs. "Send her up to the cockpit." The device clicks as the connection is terminated.

"Thank you, lieutenant."

* * *

"You have something you want to ask me?" the captain greets, turning to face the woman as she enters the cockpit.

"I have done what you wanted of me," the woman answers, removing her mask.

"And?"

"I want you to honour our agreement."

"Our agreement?"

"I get you the fox and the hare, and you release my wife."

"Our agreement was you get me the Crystals."

"And the fox and the hare know where they are."

"True. Which means I don't need _you_."

"So you can release my wife."

"I think not," the captain states, standing up.

"But-"

"You _will_ be joining her though."

With one swift movement, the captain unholsters his pistol and shoots the woman in the centre of the forehead; her lifeless corpse crumples to the floor. The captain reholsters his pistol and activates his wrist communicator.

"Lieutenant?"

"Captain?"

"Are the captives on board?"

"Affirmative, sir."

"Very well. Kill the driver, then dump him and the woman in the truck and torch it."

* * *

As the truck burns, the shuttlecraft takes off to return to the mothership.


	3. Chapter 3

Maria is the first to wake; initially, all she can do is mumble incoherently as the last of the sedative wears off. A moment later, her senses return; she finds herself laid flat on her back, yet gravity is pulling her in the wrong direction.

"What… what's going on?" she murmurs, confused; looking around, all she can see is the dark metallic interior of a spaceship. She tries to move; her limbs are secured in place by heavy-duty shackles.

"Hanna!" Maria squeals. "I know you're a big meanie, but this is a step too far!"

"What?" Hanna murmurs in bewilderment, stirring as she slowly wakes up. "I didn't do anything…"

"Then why am I shackled to this-" Maria starts. "Wait, are we in a spaceship?"

"Don't be silly," Hanna replies. "We're-" Something clunks as Hanna attempts to get up; she looks down and sees she is equally securely shackled. "I can't move!"

"So… this isn't your fault?"

"No." Hanna pauses a moment. "Maria, cover your ears."

"Why?" Maria asks. "Also, I can't move either."

"Oh. In that case, I apologise if this hurts."

"If what hurts?"

Hanna takes as deep a breath as possible-

"_ROB STIIL WHY DID I LET YOU TALK ME INTO ACCEPTING THIS MISSION I WILL KILL YOU FOR THIS!_"

If anyone was still asleep, they aren't now.

"What's all the screaming for?" Xander asks.

"Hanna, what on Avalice?" Danny snaps simultaneously.

"Really Hanna," Rob adds, "what have I done this-" A clunk as he tries to move; a vicious string of obscenity is his response.

"My ears are ringing," Maria moans, visibly distressed after Hanna's full-volume scream.

"I did warn you," Hanna sighs. "If it's any consolation, I've given myself a headache."

"I feel icky," Maria adds. "Why did I have to be shackled next to _you_?"

"It wasn't up to me," Hanna protests.

"OK," Danny interrupts, "let's figure this out."

"We're on a spaceship, shacked securely, unable to move, unable to escape," Hanna summarises.

"A worryingly accurate summation of our predicament," Danny agrees. "Anyone have any ideas?"

"Maybe I can break the shackles," Xander theorises.

"Worth a shot," Danny assures.

Xander attempts to wrench the shackles round his wrists open; after a full minute of maximum effort, he relents, panting. "No use… too strong… won't budge."

"I just remembered what Carol told me happened to Lilac in Brevon's base in Jade Creek," Rob declares, a trace of panic creeping into his voice.

"Surely you're not talking about that machine me and Maria found?" Hanna asks; Maria starts whimpering.

"Unfortunately, I am," Rob sighs.

"_I don't wanna be tortured!_" Maria wails.

"None of us do," Danny assures.

"Then you'd better comply with my demands," the captain declares, entering the room.


	4. Chapter 4

"Who on Avalice are you to make demands of us?" Hanna snaps.

"_On_ Avalice?" the captain mocks, his form concealed by a heavy hooded cape. "How cute."

"Fine," Hanna spits. "Who _off_ Avalice are you to make demands of us?"

"I am Aquila Kawaguchi, captain of this vessel, and the one who orchestrated the capture of five veteran Red Scarves, and rendered them utterly helpless," the captain gloats.

"And this is how you spend your time?" Xander interjects. "Flying from planet to planet, capturing people for fun?"

"Oh, I don't do this for fun," Aquila explains. "Though I do admit I enjoy it greatly."

"Then explain why you've captured us," Danny demands.

"I am looking for five precious gemstones," Aquila responds, "coloured red, clear, green, yellow, and blue."

"We know that," Danny retorts.

"I think two of you know more about them than the other three though," Aquila hints, looking at Hanna and Rob.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Rob bluffs.

"Yes you do," Aquila assures. "The woman who picked you up for me has met you before; she told me about how you came to be in possession of all five."

"The cop we rescued from the Elemental compound!" Hanna exclaims, turning to Rob. "I knew it was her!"

"And that's not all," Aquila continues. "You and the hare know where these gemstones are. And you will retrieve them for me."

"Over our dead bodies," Hanna and Rob chorus defiantly.

"That won't be necessary," Aquila smirks. "That woman gifted me three bargaining chips I wasn't expecting. Unfortunately," he sighs, "you won't be able to thank her. At least, not while you still have a breath left in your bodies."

"You killed her?" Hanna asks, stunned at the captain's brutality.

"And her wife," Aquila confirms. "Alas, their usefulness had come to an end, and I don't like to clutter my ship with useless bodies."

"You're despicable, and you will die by my hand," Hanna growls.

"You're a Red Scarf; who are you to judge _me_?" Aquila snaps. "Anyway, you won't kill me," he asserts. "What you will do is submit to me and do my bidding."

"And if we don't?" Rob asks.

"Then I kill your friends," Aquila answers. "But only after I've made them suffer in front of you."

"Don't submit to him, you two!" Danny demands.

"I'd rather die than see my friends stoop to such cowardice," Xander murmurs.

Maria doesn't respond; all that can be heard is a gentle sobbing.

"Maria?" Hanna asks, voice soft with concern.

"I don't… wanna die…" Maria sniffs. "All I wanted… was to go… on a fun quest… with my friends… and now… _I'm gonna be tortured and killed!_" she finishes with a frail cry of despair, the flood of tears unrestricted.

"Well, it looks like we have no choice," Hanna sighs. "I already have too much on my conscience."

"We will not be responsible for our friends' deaths," Rob reluctantly declares. "We will do as you wish."

"Excellent," Aquila grins. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have other matters to attend to."


	5. Chapter 5

"So much for your vow never to kill again," Rob quips once Aquila has left the room.

"Oh, shut up," Hanna replies. "You're the reason I'm in this infernal situation."

"You had plenty of chances to bail," Rob reminds, "yet you did not."

"If you hadn't forced me to accept this mission," Hanna snaps, "I wouldn't have _needed_ to bail!"

"I haven't forced you into anything!" Rob snaps back. "Never have, never will! All I did was remind you of who you really are!"

"Stop fighting!" Maria pleads, beginning to cry.

"Because this is _clearly_ so much better than relaxing at home in front of the TV!" Hanna yells sarcastically, ignoring Maria's plea.

"Oh yeah, because wallowing in self-pity is a great way to pass the time!" Rob yells back.

"_Stop fighting!_" Maria pleads again, desperation creeping into her voice.

"Look at what you're doing to Maria!" Rob continues. "The poor girl's petrified, and all you can do is argue!"

"_Me?_" Hanna spits indignantly. "_You're the one who started this ridiculous argument!_"

"_I only reminded you of who you are!_" Rob retorts. "_Everything after that is _your_ choice!_"

"_If it was up to me,_" Hanna begins, "_we'd-_"

Maria's shrill, angry, desperate scream of despair tears right through everyone's souls; it takes a full minute for everyone to recover from the unprecedented volume.

"I told you to stop fighting," Maria eventually blubs. "You two are so focussed on blaming each other, you're forgetting there are _five_ of us here, and we're _all_ in this icky ship because you're both _idiots!_ You could have _both_ called this whole thing off before it even started! But no! Hanna, you're an idiot for always jumping into these stupid adventures! And Rob, you're an idiot because you always follow her in, instead of holding her back! Now, both of you, _shut up!_"

"But-" Hanna begins.

"_You_ chose to go into the Dreadnought," Maria snaps. "_You_ stole the Fire Crystal. _You_ stole the Metal Crystal. _You_ destroyed the Elementals. _You_ took all five Crystals home with you. _And you kept them! And you _used_ them! Repeatedly!_"

"Only two of them," Rob mutters.

"_I DON'T CARE!_" Maria screams.

"Maria," Danny soothes, "please, I beg you, calm down. All this shouting and screaming, it's not going to help us." He turns to Hanna and Rob. "And you two," he continues aggressively, "from now on, say _nothing_ unless it is a _fool-proof_ plan to get us all out of here alive."


	6. Chapter 6

The next three hours are spent in silence; the only sound is Maria, purring gently as she sleeps off the exhaustion of her earlier outbursts.

"This whole thing is my fault," Hanna mutters suddenly. "All this is happening because I was jealous of Lilac."

"Yeah, but I should have stopped you," Rob adds.

"You know you wouldn't have been able to," Hanna responds, smiling slightly.

"I could have tried at least," Rob counters, matching Hanna's smile.

"Don't be too hard on yourself, Hanna," Danny assures. "No-one could have predicted everything that happened since; the Elementals, the bomb attack, your… erm… _that_, and now this; there was no way for you to know."

"And you've always been the most reckless of us all," Xander adds; Hanna chuckles, a little embarrassed.

"So, all the animosity of earlier forgotten?" Danny asks; Hanna and Rob nod their agreement. "Good. But it's Maria you need to apologise to most of all."

"But I wanna play with that…" Maria murmurs as she slowly wakes up. "Wait, where are you going… oh, right, I was dreaming… oh great, I'm still in this icky spaceship."

"Feeling better?" Danny asks Maria.

"My head hurts," Maria mumbles.

"Dehydration," Danny assures. "We're all rather thirsty by now I guess."

"I would give my tail for a hot chocolate right now," Hanna sighs.

"Marshmallows are icky," Maria teases.

"They're lovely!" Hanna counters. "Hey, Maria?" she adds a moment later.

"Hm?"

"I want to apologise for everything earlier," Hanna continues. "In fact, I want to apologise for all of this. While you were sleeping, I had a chance to really think things through, and… well… if it wasn't for my thrill-seeking and my jealousy of… 'Little Miss Heropants', as Carol calls her… none of us would be here right now."

"And I apologise too," Rob adds, "both for earlier and for all this. I should've refused this mission from the start. Also, I should have tried a lot harder to change Hanna's mind about raiding the Dreadnought. Had I managed either of those, we wouldn't all be stuck in this infernal spaceship."

"It's alright," Maria assures. "I was scared, and I got carried away. Now that I'm used to it, being shackled to this metal plate is oddly quite comfortable. Wouldn't mind having a pillow though… and not facing the prospect of torture and death."

"The torture and death will come later, I assure you," Aquila interrupts, returning to the room, carrying a remote controller, followed by his lieutenant carrying a large plastic briefcase. "The amount is up to you." He halts in the centre of the room. "The guards tell me there was quite the shouting match after I left earlier. Makes me all the happier I've been sorting out these wonderful little devices."

Aquila signals to the lieutenant. The suitcase is placed on the floor and opened to reveal five metallic collars; Hanna shivers at the sight of them.

"I see the vixen recognises these charming pieces of neckwear," Aquila continues. "But I doubt she knows about all the extra add-ons mine have fitted." The lieutenant hands one of the collars to Aquila. "These collars aren't just capable of crushing the throat and choking you to death. These have several additional features I think you're going to like. The first is a 10,000-volt electric shock feature, good for roughly… 10,000 activations, coincidentally! The second is a microphone, so I can always hear what you're saying. And don't think you can just use sign language instead, as the collars have cameras too, so I'll be able to see as well as hear. And last, a few ounces of a powerful explosive, for if I want to kill you quickly. But I'll probably stick to the choking; it's more fun."

One by one, the lieutenant fits each of the Scarves with a collar.

"Now, before we take you home, I want to make sure these collars are working correctly."

"Can you make the shock brief?" Hanna asks. "I'd like my fur not to be burned off just yet."

"Electrocution?" Aquila chuckles. "Oh, wait! I forgot to tell you about this feature!"

Aquila presses a button on his controller; all five collars start to emit a strange gas.

Within seconds, the Scarves fall into a deep sleep.


	7. Chapter 7

"How much range does this controller have?" Aquila asks his lieutenant as they once more pass undetected into Avalice's atmosphere.

"With the relay satellites, it'd work from the L2 Lagrangian, sir," the lieutenant explains.

"But we can't use them because of the Coalition patrol."

"Which means we'll have to remain on the planet, sir."

"I assume you packed enough provisions, then?"

"Thirty days' worth, sir."

"By what measure?"

"Avalician native, sir."

"How does that compare to Coalition Standard?"

"They conveniently differ by less than 1%, sir."

"Good; we won't have to adjust our sleeping patterns."

"I didn't think you slept, sir."

"I don't have to, thanks to my cybernetics. But I like to have the option. And I should remind you not to speak out of place, lieutenant."

"My apologies, sir."

The journey continues in silence; after re-entry, Aquila swings round in his chair to watch the planet's surface pass under the shuttlecraft.

"This planet's far too green for my tastes," he sighs. "Where is all the technology? The forests of steel and glass?"

"If I may, sir?"

"Proceed."

"The archives indicate that Avalician technology isn't advanced enough for that level of artificiality," the lieutenant explains. "And while it may seem power generation is the one area where they're truly advanced, it's not technology native to the planet. It appears that the natives tell myths of a dragon coming to the planet a long time ago. The natives, overawed by the dragon's magnificence, built three cities in its honour. The dragon was apparently so pleased, it transformed itself into what became known as the 'Kingdom Stone', so it may keep the cities powered for eternity."

"A ridiculous tale, of course."

"Absolutely, sir, but one rooted in truth," the lieutenant continues. "Coalition records document the recovery of a robot from the planet's surface that describes how an old dragon spaceship crash-landed on Avalice, and was unable to take off again. They were also unable to contact their brethren for rescue. So they opted to share their technology with the natives, and created the 'Kingdom Stone' to power the three cities. Then, once the cities were set on the right path, the dragons let themselves fade away, blending into the population, and allowing the spread of the legends that hide the real truth."

"How come you're only telling me this now?"

"Because the decryption and integration process wasn't completed until we were fitting the collars, sir."

"Remind me to have a 'word' with the technician responsible when we return to the ship; the process should have been a lot quicker."

"Affirmative, sir."


	8. Chapter 8

The next morning, back home in Rage Ravine, Hanna wakes gently, a groggy moan whispering forth as the sedative wears off. She opens her eyes; the incoming sunlight momentarily washes out her vision. _That was one worryingly unusual nightmare I had last night. And it felt so… _real_. Why do I feel like I've been drugged? Probably just had a rough night._ Hanna slides gingerly out of bed, a little unsteady on her feet. With a long yawn, she staggers towards the bathroom; she pauses as she catches a sidelong glimpse of herself in the full-length mirror. Backing up to check herself out fully, she's initially confused by the fact that she is fully dressed. Then she notices the collar-like device secured around her neck.

"It wasn't a dream…" She sniffs; the odour of staleness is pervasive. "And I _really_ need a shower." Her stomach growls loudly. "And breakfast."

* * *

An hour later, with everyone showered and wearing a fresh change of clothes, they sit in the den, silent, glum.

"I'm not really excited about this quest anymore," Maria sighs.

"At least our vehicles were returned with us," Danny offers.

"Woohoo," Hanna quips sarcastically.

"I could probably break the collars off," Xander offers. "No volunteers?" he asks a few moments later. "Fine; I'll break my own." Xander grips either side of his collar as firmly as he is able, and starts to pull. The collar unleashes a paralysing electrical discharge in response; with a pained yelp, Xander falls to the floor, panting. "Don't think… I'll try… that again."

"Did I forget to tell you the collars are tamper-proof?" Aquila cackles over the radios in each collar; everyone jumps at the unexpected voice. "Yes, that's right, the collars have two-way radios too. That's the problem with checking everything on the options list: you can never remember them all!"

"Did you also check the 'volume control' option?" Rob asks.

"Yes, but that control is on my end," Aquila gloats.

"Of course it is," Rob sighs.

"Hey guys, don't be so sad!" Aquila continues with mock encouragement. "You have a great adventure to go on, getting my Crystals for me!"

"What if we're not in the mood right now?" Hanna asks; all five collars unleash a paralysing electrical discharge. The den fills with the sound of pained moans as everyone slowly picks themselves up off the floor.

"I hope I've made my point," Aquila growls.

"We need time to prepare," Danny informs.

"Of course," Aquila agrees.

"Where do we begin?" Danny asks Rob.

"Fire Crystal last," Hanna demands.

"Agreed," Rob responds; he pauses for thought. "We'll start with the Metal Crystal."

"How long do you think it will take to find and retrieve them all?" Danny asks.

"If we're quick, we can get them in five days," Rob explains, "but we'll need supplies and equipment first. We can do that on the way to the first Crystal."

"Well then," Danny agrees, "let's not waste time!"

* * *

By lunchtime, Hanna, Rob, Maria, Danny, and Xander had acquired the supplies and equipment they need from Shang Mu, including two trailers for the ATVs; after a very quick lunch, they ride to the Shuigang Snowfields.


End file.
